Favorite frugal (ish) camping foods?

[greyhoundgirl]

We always do hot dogs and hamburgers at least once each.  And S'mores.  Typically, I've cooked chili and stew ahead of time and taken it to reheat.  I was hoping to simplify a little more this time and not do all that precooking.  But, at the same time, I can't spend much on groceries for the next two weeks and am trying to use what I can from the freezer.  I don't have a non-enameled cast iron dutch oven so we pretty much cook on our Coleman stove.  We are going 5 days/4 nights this time but the first and last days will be partial, so we need 4 dinners, 4 breakfasts, and 3 or 4 lunches.

Things I've got planned so far:

Meat/veggie packets (still deciding exactly WHAT meat and veggies to put in them)-could do something different here if you have an idea

Hamburger Stroganoff-using dehydrated sliced potatoes and ground beef that I already have, along with some dehydrated or canned peas or another veggie

Hot dogs, baked beans (possibly as a lunch)

Hamburgers, chips, toppings

Scrambled eggs with bacon bits and cheese, toast (we have a little stovetop toaster)

Pancakes (I premake a blender batter recipe), sausage

Cinnamon rolls or sticky buns (premade and reheated in foil by fire or stove)

Breakfast #4 ?

Lunch meat and rolls for lunches, and possibly grilled cheese

Any ideas to share?  Preferably low-cost?  I have just about any cut of beef, several kinds of dried beans, some dehydrated veggies as well as regular potatoes and onions, etc... .

[Rooney]

Just assuming from some of the meals you mentioned like hot dogs, that you have a way to keep meats cold.  How about cooking a turkey or chicken ahead of time and using the meat for quick sandwiches?  Or what about tuna fish?  What about baking up some muffins and taking them?  Or maybe bagels?  As for a warmer type meal, one time I went to a church function where they did Hobo Stew and just took whatever canned veggies people brought and mixed them together for a stew.

[Rooney]

Oh yeah and something else that is quick and  cheap  is something I saw on TV that I tweaked to make a bit healthier.  Take a can of tuna or I use canned chicken, and mix it with your favorite bbq sauce and just heat for bbq sandwiches.

[greyhoundgirl]

We take two coolers.  One normal size one and a slightly smaller one that stays cool longer.  I try to put the things we use first in the bigger one, and the things for the last day or two in the one that stays cool longer.  I am out of turkeys.  I have 3 small whole chickens from when we helped Earl's friend butcher.  But the three together would probably feed my family with just a little left (as opposed to one large roaster which usually would), so was hoping to eat those at home to at least make broth from the bones.  I do have two cans of tuna.  What would you do with that?  I do tuna melts at home (don't like them myself but hubby and my oldest child do) but won't have an oven situation.

[Proudmama]

You could do tuna melts with the tuna and they could either be lunch or dinner.  I would also bring muffins and fruit for one of the breakfasts - it is fast and easy with not much clean up.  You could also bring veggies and dip along with cheese, cut up salami or other meat and crackers and have that for one of your lunches along with fruit.  If you have lentils, you could do a sloppy joe sandwich or tacos with those.


Denise

[shedrinkzcoffee]

Have you seen this site?  I like to get ideas from it.

http://campingcafe.com/

[greyhoundgirl]

Have you seen this site?  I like to get ideas from it.

http://campingcafe.com/

Thanks!  I'll check it out.

[Rooney]

I do have two cans of tuna.  What would you do with that? 

With the tuna, if they like tuna salad, what about boiling the eggs ahead of time and keep the ingredients separate until using them.  Guess you could do the same with chicken salad, cook and grind chicken ahead of time and mix it up right before the meal.

[Cathie]

Can you do tacos? Cook meat/lentils at home ahead of time and just bring it. 

When we went this summer we did:

Breakfasts:
Hashbrowns, bacon, eggs
Pancakes
French toast
Cereal

Lunches:
Soups and grill cheese
Kraft dinner (Mac n cheese)
Lunch meat sandwiches
Peanut butter and jelly

Dinner:
Pasta with red sauce
Manwich
Tacos
Soup and grill cheese and meat

I think there was something else but I forget now 😂

We brought popcorn, pretzels, twizzlers and smore stuff
We also brought fruit and veggies. 

[greyhoundgirl]

Good ideas, Cathie.  We also always take the Whirlipop and popcorn as a snack.  And lots of hot chocolate mix and plenty of coffee.  Fruit, veggies, and yogurt for snacks.  Good to break up the junk with some healthy stuff.    'Cause we all love our S'mores.

[wrancher]

We are weird campers. When we went with our friends we all just shared everything but  did what each other liked. We cook almost everything over the fire. Some of the people had mountain men other times we just used what the park had to cook on. Usually just cooked with wood but sometimes charcoal. It was always better with wood. We did breakfast burritos. Mainly a big thing of scrambled eggs with sausage or plain and cheese then just assembled on the table. Lots of bacon. Mainly scrambled eggs as people coulld just dish. Sometimes hashbrowns or take a cupcake pan and put a piece of cooked bacon in a circle then drop an egg in and cook. Can serve on english muffin or just eat.  We also did pancakes. Lunch was usually sandwiches and chips and salads.  Supper again we cooked over wood like hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, sausage burgers, etc. We would marinate steak tips and veggies and in sish kabob basket. We did a fish fry with fish we caught. Mainly just make a pasta salad or whatever. We started doing like I took crab dip. My 1 friend made mac and cheese for kids, Watermelon, cantaloupe, etc. We did corn on the cob in the husk on fire.  Just wait about 10-15 min peel back husk and eat how easy is that and NO cleanup. Have salad, fruit / veggies all cut up to eat on. Ours was pretty simple but great fun. Lots of fun times

[greyhoundgirl]

We are weird campers. When we went with our friends we all just shared everything but  did what each other liked. We cook almost everything over the fire. Some of the people had mountain men other times we just used what the park had to cook on. Usually just cooked with wood but sometimes charcoal. It was always better with wood. We did breakfast burritos. Mainly a big thing of scrambled eggs with sausage or plain and cheese then just assembled on the table. Lots of bacon. Mainly scrambled eggs as people coulld just dish. Sometimes hashbrowns or take a cupcake pan and put a piece of cooked bacon in a circle then drop an egg in and cook. Can serve on english muffin or just eat.  We also did pancakes. Lunch was usually sandwiches and chips and salads.  Supper again we cooked over wood like hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, sausage burgers, etc. We would marinate steak tips and veggies and in sish kabob basket. We did a fish fry with fish we caught. Mainly just make a pasta salad or whatever. We started doing like I took crab dip. My 1 friend made mac and cheese for kids, Watermelon, cantaloupe, etc. We did corn on the cob in the husk on fire.  Just wait about 10-15 min peel back husk and eat how easy is that and NO cleanup. Have salad, fruit / veggies all cut up to eat on. Ours was pretty simple but great fun. Lots of fun times

Yum!  I want to come camp with you!

[wrancher]

Yum!  I want to come camp with you!
[/quote]


That would be fun! We could go hiking!

[wrancher]

Obviously I don't know how to do the quote thing sorry

[greyhoundgirl]

Yum!  I want to come camp with you!

That would be fun! We could go hiking!
[/quote]

Come on down.  I'll take you all over the Refuge.